As more consumer websites get into the business of rating physicians, hospitals are jumping on board in an effort to contribute to the online conversation
Hand hygiene compliance and influenza vaccination are two patient safety practices that should be considered mandatory, according to experts at the National Patient Safety Foundation's (NPSF) Lucian Leape Institute.
At any given moment, the intensity level within the ICU at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston can shift from relatively low to dangerously high. For clinicians, this shift is often instinctual, but difficult to grasp. A flurry of new patients may suddenly require more...
Over the last decade, patient handoff procedures have become an integral part of the patient care process, accompanied by a slew of acronyms and standardized procedures meant to improve continuity of care and prevent patient errors.
The nonprofit news organizationProPublica has never been one to shy away from controversy, particularly when it comes to healthcare quality. In the past, it has published databases in which patients can see whether their doctor is taking money from pharmaceutical companies, and what...
Antibiotic resistance has reached a "tipping point," according to a Vital Signs report released in August by the CDC. Internal hospital controls are no longer sufficient to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Now, healthcare providers across the country should be...
For years, hospitals have used root cause analysis (RCA) to identify gaps in their healthcare system that can lead to safety errors. The problem, according to some experts, is that the existing RCA process is inconsistent and often ineffective when it comes to the ultimate goal of prevention...
Hospitalized patients have a long list of potential safety concerns, ranging from medication errors to deadly infections. One thing they probably aren't thinking about is the food.
